Monterey County Sheriff’s Office recovers stolen equipment in ag theft spree
MONTEREY COUNTY — Over the past two weeks, multiple agricultural businesses in Monterey County have been targeted by a wave of burglaries, resulting in the theft of valuable equipment.
The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office Ag Crimes Unit has been actively investigating these incidents, leading to...
Food banks provide helping hand to Salinas Valley farmworkers
KING CITY — Celebration Nation is continuing to host food banks for local farmworkers in the Salinas Valley, with the next two events planned for King City and Greenfield on upcoming Saturdays.
The nonprofit, launched in 2020 to support farm-working communities in California, currently schedules food...
Supreme Court rules against union recruiting on California farms
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday that a California regulation allowing union organizers to recruit agricultural workers at their workplaces violated the constitutional rights of their employers.
The vote was 6-3, with the court’s three liberal members in dissent.
Chief Justice John Roberts, writing...
FDA recalls onions from California suppliers after salmonella outbreak
CALIFORNIA — A nationwide onion recall was expanded by the Food and Drug Administration on Aug. 10 to include red, yellow, white and sweet yellow onions linked to California suppliers after more than 600 people in 43 states have been sickened with salmonella.
The original...
Agriculture is at a critical juncture, farm leaders warn
CALIFORNIA — Grappling with higher costs and challenges related to water, labor, regulations and trade, some California farm leaders question whether the nation’s No. 1 agriculture state has reached a tipping point.
California Farm Bureau President Shannon Douglass discussed the high cost of operating a...
Monterey County’s 2022 Crop Report reveals strength in lettuce industry, weakness in cannabis production
MONTEREY COUNTY — Monterey County’s crop production increased in value last year by more than $500 million despite decreases in both wine grapes and cannabis, according to the county’s 2022 Crop and Livestock Report.
Overall gross crop and livestock production was over $4.6 billion in...
Monterey County crops fall 6.1% in value last year
MONTEREY COUNTY — Monterey County Agricultural Commissioner Juan Hidalgo has announced the release of the 2023 Annual Crop and Livestock Report, which recorded a production gross value of just over $4.35 billion, reflecting a 6.1% decrease from 2022.
“The values represented here reflect gross values...
Guest Column | How Farmworkers Outlawed ‘El Cortito’ 50 Years Ago
For decades in the Salinas Valley, the short-handle hoe, known as “El Cortito,” was used for weeding and thinning rows of crops that kept farmworkers stooped over for long hours each day. Workers were only able to stand and stretch when they reached the...
Newsom signs bill to protect farmworkers from wildfire smoke
SACRAMENTO — Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed Assembly Bill 73, Assemblymember Robert Rivas’ Farmworker Wildfire Smoke Protections Act, into law on Sept. 27.
California’s wildfire season, combined with heat waves and the Covid-19 pandemic, has helped shine a light on the necessary safety protocols agricultural...
Retiree reflects on half-century of agricultural work in Salinas Valley
SALINAS VALLEY — Jesse Holguin retired from Gonzales Irrigation Systems on Dec. 31, wrapping up a career of 40 years with the company and more than 50 years in total with agricultural work.
Holguin began working for Mel Fowler of King City 51 years ago,...
